Environmental Impacts of Takeaway Food Containers

According
to researchers from University of Manchester effective measures are required to
tackle the growing environmental impact of takeaway food containers

A
research from University of Manchester published in Journal of Cleaner
Production on November 24, 2018, estimated that around 2025 million takeaway
containers are used annually in the European Union (EU). According to the
researchers, use of effective measures to recycle disposable takeaway containers
can aid in reducing equivalent greenhouse gas emissions generated annually by
55,000 cars. The research is the first ever comprehensive study of the
environmental impacts of disposable takeaway-food containers.

The
team observed aluminum, polystyrene (Styrofoam), and polypropylene (clear
plastic) containers and compared these to reusable plastic containers such as Tupperware.
The team found that Styrofoam containers have the lowest carbon footprint,
which is around 50% lower than aluminum containers and three times lower than
plastic containers. However, Styrofoam containers are not a sustainable
packaging as these containers are not extensively recycled and are often dumped
in landfill. The team used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to estimate the impacts
of containers by recording manufacture, use, and end-of-life waste management
of containers. The team investigated 12 different environmental impacts such as
climate change, depletion of natural resources, and marine ecotoxicity.

The
researchers found that the Styrofoam container was the best option among the
disposable containers across all the impacts considered such as the carbon
footprint. The Styrofoam container had 50% lower carbon footprint compared to
aluminum and three times lower compared to plastic. This is attributed to the
lower amount of materials and energy used in the production of Styrofoam
compared to aluminum and plastic containers. However, Styrofoam containers are
currently not recycled. Therefore, these containers cannot be considered a
sustainable packaging option for food. According to the research, recycling 50%
of the containers currently in use can reduce carbon footprint by 33%.

Curt Reaves started working for Plains Gazette in 2016. Curt grew up in a small town in northern Iowa. He studied chemistry in college, graduated, and married his wife one month later. He has been a proud Texan for the past 5 years. Curt covers politics and the economy. Previously he wrote for the Washington City Paper, The Hill newspaper, Slate Magazine, and ABCNews.com.

About Author

Curt Reaves started working for Plains Gazette in 2016. Curt grew up in a small town in northern Iowa. He studied chemistry in college, graduated, and married his wife one month later. He has been a proud Texan for the past 5 years. Curt covers politics and the economy. Previously he wrote for the Washington City Paper, The Hill newspaper, Slate Magazine, and ABCNews.com.

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